My Little Maleficent
by KidatHeart5
Summary: This is my spin that was inspired by the Hub promo for Villaintine's Day and the film "Maleficent". Discord has lived happily in the Everfree Forest until an unforeseen event robs him of his teleportation and most of his flight . As an act of vengeance, he curses the newborn filly Twilight Sparkle to eternal sleep. Discord soon regrets this and tries to save her from her fate.
1. Prologue: First Meeting

_Do you know the legend of __Sleeping Pony__? Let me tell you the story behind it._

_Once upon a time, in a faraway land so very long ago, there were two feuding kingdoms. One that wanted to conquer and take lands as their own and another that was very peaceful and filled with magical creatures. A very special creature lived in this tranquil part of the land. His name was Discord. He loved his home very much and played with the creatures all the time. He even played pranks on them._

A preteen Discord hid in the bushes and giggled as he waited for his trap to spring. He laid a carrot on the path after he carefully set a net beneath the dirt. After he waited a few minutes, a jackalope hopped up and saw the carrot. He was new to Discord's pranks, so thus least expected it. When he grabbed the carrot, the net beneath him sprung up and held him on the branch of a tree. Discord emerged from the brush, bursting with laughter.

The jackalope cried, "Discord! You tricked me!" Discord replied as he wiped a tear from his eye, "Well, you should know better than to pick up carrots in the middle of the path." Just then, three Breezies whizzed up to him and chattered urgently in overlapping voices. Discord waved at them and said, "Girls, girls! I can't understand a word you're saying! Why don't just one of you tell me what's going on?"

The first Breezie, Sweetie Belle, began, "We have a huge…" Just then, the second Breezie, Apple Bloom, interrupted her, "Hey, I thought I was going to tell him!" The third Breezie, who was named Scootaloo, suggested, "Why don't I save the both of you trouble and let me tell Discord?" Discord said, "I have an idea. Why don't you _all _tell me what this is all about?" To that, the three Breezies agreed and told him simultaneously, "There's a filly in the woods and she's not from here!"

Discord was shocked and asked, "An intruder? Who would dare come here?" Suddenly, he realized that this could be a trick to get back at him. He asked suspiciously, "Are you sure this is not a prank?" The Breezies face-hoofed and then shouted, "YES!" Discord took their word for it and flew hurriedly to the edge of the woods.

When he arrived, two Minotaur guards were facing the dark woods with the spears pointed toward the darkness. Discord appeared before them in general attire and commanded, "At ease!" After the guards withdrew their spears, Discord popped out of his outfit and peered into the forest. "Hey, you!" he commanded. "Come out of there!"

A small, shy voice replied, "I…c-c-can't. I'm too s-s-scared." Discord then realized that he had to coax her out of hiding. He smiled, "Don't be. If you'll come out there, I promise I will be your friend."

The voice asked, "But…w-what about them?" Discord looked back to the Minotaur guards and ordered, "Hey, guys, back up. You're scaring the filly." The guards did as he told him. The young draconequus turned back to the woods and coaxed, "It's okay now. You can come out. Nobody's going to hurt you."

The filly whispered, "Are you sure?" Discord nodded, "I'm 100% positive. No harm will come to you here." When the young filly timidly emerged from the woods, Discord had no idea that their first meeting would change his life forever. He was amazed when he saw the young filly's yellow coat, pink mane, and blue-green eyes. He had never seen any pony like her. In truth, he had never seen a pony at all before he met her.

Discord said under his breath, "Oh, my…" He was so lost in his trance that one of the Minotaur guards had to nudge him to snap him out of it. When he regained his senses, Discord asked the filly, "So, what are you doing in this part of the Everfree Forest?" The filly turned her head and answered, "Forgive me. I was only following a cute bunny. It looked hungry, so I wanted to feed it.

"When I tried to give it food, it just ran away. I followed it here to give it some food." Discord scoffed, for he knew how much trouble bunnies were; one in particular was named Angel Bunny. Discord had been around since he was born, but he didn't see why he was given the name "Angel". He was nothing but trouble ever since he could hop. He wondered if it was the same bunny that the filly followed here.

The Minotaur guards told him to take her out of the forest. Discord complied and led the filly to the outside edge of the Everfree Forest. The draconequus asked her, "Oh, I never got your name. I'm Discord, young spirit of pranks and disarray." The filly said, "My, what a name you have. I'm Fluttershy, um…a young filly who's lost her way."

Discord chuckled at that and said, "That's cute." Fluttershy asked, "What? My name or what I am?" The draconequus answered, "Both, actually. Not that I think your name's funny. Oh, did I say 'funny'? I-I meant that it's a…rather sweet name; suits you well."

Fluttershy giggled, "Thank you." Discord soon took notice of the necklace she was wearing. It had a grayish stone with a streak of rainbow in it. He pointed to it and said, "That's a pretty necklace. May I see it?" When Fluttershy nodded, Discord held the stone in his claw.

It burned as soon as he touched it, so he withdrew his claw and cried, "Ouch! What did you do, put it in a fire?!" Fluttershy gasped, "No, I didn't! It's not hot, either!" Discord explained, "I think it's one of those stones I was warned never to touch. It hurts creatures like me."

Fluttershy said, "It was one of the last things my mother gave me. Well, if it hurts you, I'll stop wearing it." Discord was amazed by this sweet gesture and smiled, "That would be nice. Thank you." The two of them shook hoof and paw as they promised to see each other again soon.

_**Author's Note: Just to lift any worries, Fluttershy is **_**not _Stefan. I'll leave that as a next surprise for the next chapter._**


	2. Protecting the Forest

_Soon after the first time they met, Fluttershy and Discord began seeing each other. He'd sneak her into the forest and showed her all around his world. Years passed and their bond grew. Fluttershy even got her cutie mark taking care of the creatures. Then, on her sixteenth birthday, she gave Discord something that was very precious: true love's first kiss. Alas, something would soon stand in the way of their romance._

_Fluttershy soon started visiting less and less, with her brother living at the castle as a squire. Discord couldn't understand the importance of status and getting ahead in society. However, he was yet to learn. When Fluttershy stopped visiting, he never forgot her. He even spent his days in the forest thinking about her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, and he would get that chance one fateful day…_

Discord flew around the woods, completely free of any thought. He could soar easily without ever thinking of it. Flying always invigorated him when he needed to feel free. When he was above the ground, he felt all of his stresses vanish into thin air. He twirled his way into the clouds and stopped when he was on top of them. He could feel the breeze rushing against his face and the sunlight gave him an ethereal glow. He relished this for a few moments before plunking down onto a cloud and snapped up an exotic drink in a coconut.

But before he could drink out of it, he saw something that caught his eye. He made his drink vanish and moved slowly forward in the clouds in front of him. As he peeked out of the clouds, he saw something disturbing. It looked like a cloud, but it was moving on the ground. Immediately, Discord knew this meant trouble.

Armies of armored unicorns and Pegasi advanced towards the border of the Everfree Forest. Among these vast rows of stallions was the leader, King Sombra. With an evil look in his eye, he shouted to his soldiers, "My armies, we have conquered every last bit of Equestria except for the Everfree Forest! But today, we shall succeed in taking it as ours!" The stallions gave a cheer, but these cheers were soon cut short by a voice that cried, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

The soldiers looked in all directions before they looked up to see a creature swooping in out of the sky. He was a most peculiar creature, with a horse's head, deer antler, goat leg, and a large fang protruding from his lip. As he landed on a rock that stood between the forest and the armies, King Sombra scoffed, "And just who you might be?" The draconequus stated, "I am Discord, and I demand that you leave this forest alone!" The king only laughed, "Your fight is futile, _Discord_. You cannot possibly win!" Discord smirked, "We shall see about that."

He threw his arms out and cried out, "I call on those who live in the shadows. Fight with me now!" As if an answer to his request, an army of Minotaurs appeared out of the woods. The armies were slightly stunned at the fearsome creatures, but there were more to come. To their surprise, a Tatzlwurm burst out of the ground beside Discord and gave a shrieking roar to the armies. If that wasn't enough to intimidate the stallions, Timberwolves soon emerged from the darkened woods! King Sombra, though considerably daunted, gave out the order, "Attack!"

The stallions galloped to meet the creatures of the Everfree Forest. As the battle began, Discord took to the air and saw the field from above. When the armies and creatures met and engaged in physical combat, the draconequus soon was part of the action. He fended off the Pegasi and unicorns with the most unusual things: cream pies, boxing gloves, a wheel that rotated boots, water guns, whatever the works. He only hurt the ponies and was careful not to inflict serious damage on them. However, the same couldn't be said for King Sombra.

The king used his dark magic to harm Discord's comrades. As soon as the draconequus saw this, he turned to King Sombra and rushed to face him head-on. The unicorn produced a black blast of magic, but Discord conjured up a bat and hit it back to the king. The blast took a toll on the king as he lied on the ground, unable to move. He could only pant as Discord came up to him and said, "_Au revoir_, Your Majesty." When he grabbed the king's armored neck, Discord cried out as a blast drove him back.

As soon as he regained his senses, he looked at his blackened paw. He remembered that one particular stone that could do this to him was labradorite. It was what Fluttershy wore on her necklace the day she met him. He should've paid more attention to the armor King Sombra wore; it had three labradorite stones in a column that lined the king's neck armor. He sighed of relief as the armies retreated when they found that their king was injured. Discord knew that his paw would heal, but he was worried now that Sombra knew of his weakness.

******_Author's Note: Yes, labradorite is an actual stone! I took me a while to look up the right stone that would weaken Discord. Since it's not well-known, I thought it would be perfect. Look it up if you want._**


	3. Secret Rendezvous

Word had spread throughout the kingdom that King Sombra was seriously injured in battle and possibly dying. As he lied on his bed, he heaved, "Discord…He was the one who…did this to me…Find him…and make him pay…I want him dead or alive…He has a weakness…the stones that line my armor…Use labradorite…to bring him down…"

He coughed and then continued in laborious breaths, "Whoever…defeats him or otherwise…will become king after I die…and marry my daughter…Princess Cadance." Fluttershy, one of the servants who surrounded the king's bed, knew that her dearest friend was in danger. Discreetly, she rushed out of the room and out to the Everfree Forest. Nopony suspected she was gone…except her brother.

Shining Armor was suspicious of her behavior and wanted to follow her. However, he was tempted by the chance to become king. He had started out in the castle as a squire and now was Captain of the Royal Guard. He dearly loved Princess Cadance; if this was a chance to win her hoof, he would gladly bring Discord down. He knew the draconequus had something to do with Fluttershy. He decided to follow her and see if she would lead him to the Everfree Forest.

Fluttershy flew out to the forest in the dead of night. She walked carefully in the woods and whispered, "Discord? Are you here? It's me, Fluttershy. I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, but I need to talk to you."

Suddenly, he popped up from behind her and she gave a surprised cry. Discord put a paw to her mouth and shushed her, "Shh! Don't let anyone know you're here! There's been a battle recently that involved ponies." Fluttershy nodded, "I know. That's why I'm here. I came to warn you."

Discord knew this couldn't be good, so he asked, "What is it, dear Fluttershy?" Fluttershy explained, "King Sombra knows about your weakness and wants you dead or alive. He's offered to make the pony who could get rid of you king. It's too tempting to pass up. Oh, Discord, what can we do?"

The draconequus contemplated this for a few moments and then suggested, "I have an idea. Let's run away together and stay on the Horseshoe Islands for the rest of our lives." Fluttershy said, "But, Discord…" Discord said, "Too much? How about this? We'll go somewhere far away and live happily ever after."

The Pegasus sighed, "Discord, I can't go with you. As much as I really care for you, nopony can know that I've gone with you. If we run away together, that would mean putting both of our lives at risk." Discord was saddened by the thought of being forever parted from Fluttershy, but he certainly didn't want to put her life on the line. It was him they wanted, not her. He suggested, "All right. How about we spend one last night together before we part ways? I'm sure we'll see each other again after the danger has passed."

He smiled weakly, but it was enough for Fluttershy to kiss him on the cheek and say, "Thank you, Discord." Although he wasn't comfortable thinking it might be the last time he would ever see her, he knew that he wanted what was best for the pony he loved. Besides, there was something he had been meaning to give her. If he didn't tonight, then when would he get another chance to confess his undying love for her?

They went to the most beautiful spot in the entire forest. It was near a waterfall and had a tree to sleep under. Nighttime flora dazzled in the glow of night. Though Discord and Fluttershy had been here many times before, it gave off a very special air tonight. They wanted to cherish every moment they had left together.

They eventually forgot about the dire situation at hand and relaxed to the various nighttime sounds. Fluttershy whispered, "I had forgotten how beautiful it was at night here. I surely won't forget this for the rest of my life." Discord told her, "You best make sure not to forget it." He tickled her and after she began laughing, he did as well. They rolled around the grass and stopped near the water's edge.

Then, Discord remembered his gift for Fluttershy. He said, "Fluttershy, I want you to close your eyes. I have something very special I wanted to give to you." She closed her eyes and opened them when Discord told her to. She was a bit surprised to find that he was holding an oval-shaped rock. The draconequus held out his finger as if to say "wait" and tapped the rock against the edge of the pool. The rock split into two and revealed crystals inside it!

Fluttershy's eyes lit up at the marvel of the geode. Discord snapped his fingers and in a flash of light, the geode turned into a heart-shaped pendant that contained the crystals. He smiled as he put it around her neck, "I want you to wear this as a symbol of my everlasting love and faithfulness to you. You have shown me kindness ever since we met. For me, this is the only way I can repay you for that. I can never compensate for all the thanks you deserve. You are very special to me, Fluttershy.

"This pendant is the only thing that can compare to your beauty." Fluttershy, with eyes welling with tears, lunged forward and gave him a most passionate kiss. This filled Discord with glee and amazement. He was so dazed in love that he practically fainted from the kiss. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle. Alas, this moment was to end all too soon.

While they slept under the tree peacefully, a stallion walked around the brush in search of the draconequus. Shining Armor peered from behind the flora and was shocked to find his sister sleeping with Discord. Convinced that she was under the creature's control, Shining Armor leapt out of the brush swiftly but silently. He stood over the two and walked closely to Fluttershy. Using his magic, he lifted her away from Discord and placed her near himself. The only thing he brought with him was a bag filled with labradorite stones. He took out some small stones and was about to place them near his nose when…

"Stop!" a small voice cried. Shining Armor turned to face his sister as she pleaded, "Don't hurt him, please!" He warned, "Fluttershy, get away from him. He's dangerous! Because of him, King Sombra is dying. Would you turn your back on the whole kingdom for this creature?"

Fluttershy said through tears, "No, but I wouldn't turn my back on a _friend_. He's very dear to me. He only hurt Sombra because he was protecting the Everfree Forest. Do you want to see this beautiful place destroyed by the kingdom you loyally serve?" Something in Shining Armor made him have mercy on Discord and he moved the labradorite stones away from the draconequus. He said to his sister, "If I spare his life, will you turn yourself in? I will have mercy on you when I'm king."

The young Pegasus asked, "How are you going to become king if Sombra wanted you to bring Discord alive or otherwise?" Shining Armor explained, "I will take something of his, but not his life." Fluttershy threw her arms around her brother in gratitude. She took off her pendant and said softly to Discord, "Please know that I'll always love you and remember me by the gift you gave to me." After she placed the pendant on the root next to Discord's head and gave him a tearful kiss, she turned to Shining Armor and said, "All right. I'm ready to go back."

As she walked into the forest, Shining Armor stayed behind to perform one last task. He sprinkled several labradorite stones on Discord's wings and immediately, the stones began to glow. Shining Armor whispered as he collected the stones in another bag, "There. Now you cannot follow Fluttershy or me." He disappeared into the brush. Discord was blissfully unaware of the horrendous act until the next morning.

_**Author's Note: Although I'm not a Fluttercord shipper, I do write romantic scenes involving them excellently.**_


	4. Spike

When the sun's morning rays reached over the glade, Discord stretched himself and groaned, "What a night, eh, Fluttershy?" He slowly opened his eyes and turned to where Fluttershy was sleeping…or thought she was sleeping. He saw the empty spot and didn't worry about it until he took a second look. He looked around as he asked, "Fluttershy? Fluttershy, where are you?" He grew more worried when he didn't see her within of few moments of looking.

He thought of the many possibilities that could've happened when he saw something shining on the root of the tree. He picked it up and found that it was Fluttershy's gift. He knew she would never have taken it off so soon. He concluded that Fluttershy had been kidnapped and took to the skies shouting, "I'm coming for you, Fluttershy!" But just moments of reaching above the trees, an awful pain ran through his wings and he fell back to the earth. He broke the tree's branches before he landed on the sleeping place.

As he gathered himself, he said, "I don't understand. What's happened to me? What's happened to Fluttershy?!" Just then, he saw something else shining on the ground. He tried to pick it up, but he felt searing pain and had to withdraw his claw. He saw burn marks on his tips of his claw and realized it was labradorite.

The thought of betrayal crossed his mind, but he panted heavily as he thought, _No, Fluttershy wouldn't have done this to me. She's my trusted friend! It must've been her kidnapper. They did this to me!_ He snapped his fingers at the sudden idea of teleporting to her rescue. He concentrated, even snapped his fingers, but nothing happened.

Discord's heart felt heavy as he realized that not only had he lost the power to teleport and his flight, but also his dearest friend. And now, she was gone forever. He clutched the pendant close to him as his chest wracked with stifled sobs. At the thought of never seeing her again, he wailed in agony, "FLUTTERSHYYYYYYY!" This wail didn't go unheard; it was heard for several miles. When even Fluttershy heard it, she collapsed in sobs as well.

The Pegasus and unicorn reached the castle and Fluttershy confessed to being involved with Discord. After she was taken to the dungeon, Shining Armor was brought before King Sombra. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have come back with the soul of the dreaded Discord." He took out an orb that had a yellow light within it. The king smiled at this, "You have done well…Now, I may call you my future son-in-law…and *cough* *cough* the kingdom's…future king."

Meanwhile, in the Everfree Forest, Discord had calmed down and decided to walk his way out of the forest. It wasn't easy, considering that he had flown for most of his life. He eventually found an old castle that was deserted many years ago. He decided to take shelter in it and wallow in his grief. He lied against a broken wall and looked out at the empty view. He felt like there was nothing to do now but stay here for the rest of his life.

Before he could close his eyes, he heard a hooting sound. He looked all around and saw an owl standing on the edge of a broken window. He sneered at it, "Get away from me, you pesky bird." He pointed his finger at it and yellow magic shot out of it. The magic hit near the bird, but it wasn't enough to drive it away. It kept circling around Discord as the latter still shot magic at it. Suddenly, a portion of the ceiling collapsed around Discord.

He groaned and swore at the bird as it flew away, "We shall meet again, you annoying owl! I'll see to it! I've yet to win at this tangle!" He looked at his finger and said to himself happily, "Well, I least I got some magic left in myself." He would later learn that the owl would make a great ally.

Some time after Discord tried all of his magic tricks, he learned that he still had all but two abilities: his teleportation and most of his flight. He pitied himself for not being able to find Fluttershy. All of a sudden, he heard a desperate sound. He peeked out the broken wall and saw commotion in a nearby field. He conjured up binoculars and saw through them something that was caught in a net…

He realized what it was the moment he saw it. He floated down the wall and close to the field. However, just a few feet within it, his wings cricked again and he made a rough landing. He groaned as he caressed his wings, "Ugh…I've got to stop doing that." He slithered close to the ground and peeked from behind the tall plants. The owl Discord had met before was trying desperately to get free from the net. A few dogs were barking at it and Discord heard the sounds of a pony nearing towards the trapped owl.

He knew Fluttershy would want him to save the poor bird, so in her honor, he snapped his fingers and whispered, "Turn into a dragon." As soon as the stallion emerged from the brush, he was frightened by the phenomenal transformation that was taking place. He and his dogs ran away when the owl had slowly transformed into a baby dragon. Discord face-pawed as he whispered, "Not exactly what I had in mind, but okay." The dragon looked at itself in fright and asked, "What happened to me?!" Discord came out of the brush and explained, "You were going to become owl casserole, so I saved you." The dragon scowled, "Does saving me mean turning me into something hideous?!"

Discord retorted, "Would you rather that stallion and his friends eat you?" He snapped his fingers and the dragon immediately ended up on a silver platter with veggies surrounding him and an apple in his mouth. The dragon muffled and then spit the apple out. He reluctantly admitted, "Fine. I see your point there. But why did you turn me into a dragon? Why not a bear, a manticore, or even a pony?"

The draconequus sarcastically remarked, "How about a tiny fly?" He was about to snap his fingers until the dragon cried, "No, no, no! A dragon's just fine. It makes me fearsome!" He did a growl to show that he was mighty. It wasn't very intimidating, but Discord mocked, "Oh, no. I'm so scared."

The dragon said to him in an apathetic tone, "You don't believe me, do you?" Discord crossed his arms and shook his head, "Not even for a second." He had to change the subject to the matter, so he asked, "Do you have a name that I can use?" The dragon answered, "Well, I don't really have one, but I've always wanted to be called 'Spike'." Discord looked at him ambivalently, "'Spike'?" Spike nodded, "Yeah, it gives a nice ring to it, don't you think?" The draconequus was unsure about this, but he gave Spike the satisfaction of the name.

Spike told him, "You saved my life, and I know dragons have a code of honor for that. As a dragon now, I am indebted to you and will serve you for the rest of your days. Or mine, whichever comes first." Discord thought about this and sought to take advantage of it. He said, "Spike, since you are serving me, I need you to be my wings." Spike looked at him in confusion until Discord continued, "Due to a sudden incident, I cannot fly far anymore. You, however, will do so for me."

The dragon asked him, "Are you going to turn me back into an owl for that?" Discord gave a smile and said, "I want you to fly to King Sombra's castle. Er, you do know where it is, don't you?" He conjured up a map and pointed it out. He continued, "It's right over there by…" Spike pushed aside the map and retorted, "I know where the castle is! Just change me back into an owl so I can fly there!"

Discord smiled and shrugged, "Have it your way." He snapped his fingers and Spike became an owl once more. He flew off in the direction of the castle as Discord went back to the deserted one. Little did Spike or Discord realize that they were in for a huge surprise.


	5. Discord's Wrath

As soon as Spike reached the castle, he panted as he thought, _Finally! I thought I'd never get here!_ Just then, he heard a fanfare and peeked inside an open window. He looked at the throne room and the hundreds of ponies that were there. Spike wondered, _What's the big hubbub all about? _He scanned to his left and saw a blue-haired unicorn kneeling beside two thrones.

Another unicorn, dressed in religious robes, held out the crown with his magic. He declared as he placed it on the first unicorn's head, "I now pronounce you King Shining Armor. Our dearly departed King Sombra had bestowed this title on you for vanquishing Discord and sending your traitorous sister to the dungeon." The crowds cheered as the new king rose up. Spike heard one pony say, "I heard that it was Fluttershy, one of the handmaidens of King Sombra. Can you believe it?" Another pony agreed, "Oh, the scandal! I can imagine how her brother must've felt when he found out she was working for Discord."

Spike gasped at this revelation and soared back to Discord with the news. The draconequus, upon hearing what his aide told him, was far from happy. He said with seething anger, "So, it was Fluttershy's brother who took her and my powers. He made himself king and falsely claims I am dead. If that isn't enough, Fluttershy's now in the dungeon because of him!" He let out a scream of rage as he shot his magic towards the sky.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor was in his bedroom when he noticed an unusual glow. He looked out the window and saw the column of yellow magic bursting towards the sky. He whispered in dread, "Oh, no. What have I done?"

Discord walked back to the Everfree Forest with Spike flying over him. He was so full of anger that he telekinetically split apart the walls beside the path he was walking on. They returned to the Everfree Forest as a blanket of darkness rolled over it. All of the creatures gasped and backed away from Discord in fear. Just then, a throne rose from the ground and the draconequus took his place. The Minotaur guards then ushered the creatures to kneel before him. As they did so, Discord relished in his new role as Lord of the Everfree Forest.

Some time later, the news had spread throughout the kingdom that a newborn royal was born. Spike, as an owl, relayed the news back to Discord. When he flew back to him, Discord snapped his fingers and Spike reverted back to a dragon. He was in mid-flight, so the aide gave a shout as he fell to the ground. The dragon sputtered as he stood up and wiped the grass from himself, "You know you could've let me land first." Discord smirked, "Oh, where's the fun in that?"

Spike then told him, "The whole kingdom's saying that there's a new baby born, a royal one. There's going to be a christening for the foal." Discord suddenly had an idea cooking in his brain. He turned to Spike and grinned evilly, "How wonderful. I think I shall pay a visit to this newborn royal."

On the day of the christening, ponies from all classes and lands came to celebrate the birth of the newest princess, Twilight Sparkle. She was a sight to behold; she took mostly after her mother. She had the sweetest violet eyes, a mixture of sapphire, rose, and violet in her mane, and a light mulberry coat. Her parents, Shining Armor and Cadance, welcomed each and every guest graciously. However, they weren't expecting some guests to arrive.

Three familiar Breezies flew into the castle. They bowed to the king and queen and Sweetie Belle said, "Your Majesties, in light of this special occasion…" Apple Bloom spoke in, "…we would like to give the princess our gifts…" Scootaloo finished for them, "…because it's our tradition to do that for royal foals." Cadance chuckled, "That's so sweet of you, girls. You may give your gifts to the filly."

Sweetie Belle went first and said, "Twilight Sparkle, I give the gift of beauty." She blew flower petals to the princess, who was playfully reaching for them. Scootaloo was next and she said, "Twilight Sparkle, I give the gift of being happy for the rest of your days." When she directed butterflies at the foal, the latter gave a sneeze and then giggled. Apple Bloom came up to Twilight and said, "Miss Twilight Sparkle, I give you the gift of…"

But before she could finish, a sudden gust came into the room. Sounds of thunder were heard as the candles were put out. Ponies gasped as a shadow emerged from the side of the room opposite of the royals. Shining Armor's heart dropped when he thought, _Oh, no…It can't be._ His fears were soon realized when Discord walked up to him and his wife.

Discord looked upon the royal parents and said in a malicious smile, "Well, well." He stepped towards the royals as he continued, "Quite a glittering assemblage, King Shining Armor. Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and…" He gazed at the Breezies and chuckled maliciously, "How quaint. Even the rabble. I must say I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation."

Shining Armor replied in an angered tone, "You're not welcome here." Discord stood there in silence for a few moments before uttering, "Oops!" After that, he gave a laugh and said, "Oh, dear. What an awkward situation." Cadance hesitantly asked, "And you're not offended?" Discord smiled, "Why, no, your Majesty. And to show I bear no ill will, I, too, shall bestow a gift on the child."

Shining Armor didn't like the sound of that and neither did the Breezies. Before they could take action, Discord flung the three winged fillies upon a white mattress he had just conjured up. Discord leaned over the infant filly and as magic began trailing from his fingers, he said, "Listen well, all of you! The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty. Beloved by all who meet her."

Cadance smiled uneasily, "That's a very nice gift." But Discord held out a finger and said, "Bup, bup, bup! I wasn't finished yet." He faced himself toward the crowd and hands began to glow with a sickly yellow. He continued, "But…before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her hoof on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep-like sleep!"

Shining Armor quickly rose and pleaded, "Please, no!" Discord turned to him and was very pleased by this development. He smiled, "I liked that. Do it again." When the king hesitated for a moment, Discord gave him a glare that threatened to cast his curse.

Shining Armor had no choice but to kneel and beg, "Please. I beg you. Spare her life." The draconequus grinned in satisfaction and said, "All right. If you put it that way…I will add one more thing. The curse can only be broken by true love's first kiss." He smirked evilly at Shining Armor as if to remind him of the kiss his sister gave to him a long time ago.

As he cast his curse, he proclaimed, "This curse will last till the end of time! No power on Earth can change it!" Suddenly, there was a blast that sent everypony to the floor. As they were regaining their senses, Discord flew away and cried, "Woo-hoo!" Finally, he had gotten his revenge.

_In fear of putting his daughter's life at risk, the king ordered that every spinning wheel in the kingdom would be placed in the deepest dungeon and burned there. Discord knew that the kingdom would be after him, so he planted plunderseeds along the edge of the Everfree Forest and grew vines out of them to keep intruders out. Shining Armor sent soldiers to get past the wall of vines, but Discord enjoyed making fools out of them. He relished every moment the king suffered in sorrow. Unbeknownst to him, the king also tasked the three Breezies with taking care of his daughter and bringing her back to the castle the day after her sixteenth birthday. The Breezies took her to an abandoned cottage, which the young Princess Twilight would call her home for the next sixteen years._

_**Author's Note: To clarify anything, Spike is an owl in the beginning of the chapter. **_


	6. Caring for Twilight

The three Breezies grunted as they lifted the infant Twilight Sparkle from the wagon. Scootaloo grunted, "This is ridiculous. Why do we have to take care of the Princess?" Apple Bloom agreed, "Yeah, it's not we can get big or something." Sweetie Belle reminded them, "Uh, girls? Are you forgetting that we can turn into regular fillies?" Apple Bloom cried, "Oh, right!"

As soon as they set Twilight down on a stump, they transformed into regular fillies. Sweetie Belle smiled as she looked at herself, "Woo! We are good-looking!" Scootaloo pointed out, "Yeah, but we don't have our cutie marks." She pointed to her blank flank and Apple Bloom asked, "Ooh. Is that gonna be a problem?"

Sweetie Belle suggested, "Well, we can always wear skirts, can we?" Apple Bloom agreed, "I guess we could." Scootaloo scowled, "Yeah, if we want to look like old ladies!" The fillies went inside as they quarreled about this. In the midst of their arguing, they forgot that they left the princess on the stump. Twilight looked at the owl that swooped in and glanced at the filly.

After it left, Twilight fussed and Apple Bloom came back outside. She grabbed the princess and said, "Oh! Now, princess, you know you're not supposed to be by yourself." She looked all around and continued, "Especially if the meanie who cursed you in the first place is looking for you." She closed the door behind her, unaware that a certain owl had gathered information for his master.

"So, they've taken the young princess to a woodcutter's cottage in hopes of getting away from the curse?" Discord asked amusedly. He chuckled, "How charming that they'd go so far as to keep her from me. That's where they are wrong." He stood up and ordered the owl, "Spike, take me to the cottage. I want to get a good look at their little 'hiding place'."

Before night fell, Discord arrived at the cottage. He had to rush back deep in the woods before he could laugh hysterically at the quaint little abode. He had a few more laughing episodes when he saw the house again. After he had his fill of laughter, he walked up to the cottage and looked into the window. He saw the princess looking at him and gagged, "It's so ugly…could almost feel sorry for it."

Twilight only smiled at him; Discord was surprised by this. He was determined to scare her, so he hissed at her. Twilight looked surprised, but again smiled. Discord tried again by making strange faces. Nothing was happening, so he resorted to making scary sounds. He noticed that the fillies were hearing him and they wanted to check it out. He ducked beneath the window and heard Apple Bloom say, "There's nothing out here."

He sighed and only made his eyes and the top of his head visible to Twilight. She only smiled at him and he grumbled, "I hate you."

That night, the three fillies slept on a bed together. However, only one occupant of the house was awake. Twilight cried and cried in her little crib. Spike, as an owl, was close by and had to cover his ears. Discord, who was with him, also put his hands to his ears. He snarled, "Seriously, can't a guy get a little rest around here?!"

He conjured up earmuffs and sighed at the silence they provided. However, cries from the infant filly cut through the silence of the earmuffs and Discord groaned. He noticed the flowers with the pulpy center and they gave him an idea. He ordered to Spike, "Here, take this to her noisy Highness." Spike fell backwards when the flower hit him hard. He got up and gave Discord an irked look.

Spike delivered the flower and put it on Twilight's mouth. As she was sucking on it, the owl used his feet to rock the crib. Spike didn't need to tell Discord that the princess was calmed down; Discord knew by the silence that the owl had done a job well done. He sighed as he collapsed on the forest floor, "Finally."

Soon afterwards, he started visiting the cottage more. Spike suspected that Discord had a soft spot for the princess; the latter always denied it by saying that he wanted to see the fillies make fools of themselves. Once, Twilight was crying incessantly. The fillies were trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Apple Bloom cried, "I know! She's hungry! Let's give her some food!"

Scootaloo pulled some carrots from the ground and put them on the foal. She said, "Here you go, Princess. Eat up!" Twilight blinked at the carrots and her guardians. She began to cry again and the fillies resorted to finding food in the cottage. As they went inside, Discord tsked, "Don't they know anything about raising foals? Honestly, Their Highnesses should've picked somepony experienced in this."

He snapped up a bottle of milk and gave it to Spike saying, "I want you to give this to the filly." Spike, in his owl form, looked at him as if he was smirking. Discord said, "What? I'm only doing this because I can't stand the noise." Spike flew off and gave Twilight the bottle. After he left, the three fillies came out and were astonished to find Twilight drinking from a bottle. Sweetie Belle suggested, "Maybe she conjured it from thin air." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at her in disbelief.

When the fillies got the hang of raising the foal, Discord thought it was getting boring watching them. As a remedy to that, he raised the bar of craziness just to have fun. He even stooped so low as to pull pranks on them. One time, the fillies were playing a game in their cottage when suddenly, Sweetie Belle felt some drops on her. "Scootaloo, stop that!" she scolded her friend. Scootaloo denied, "It wasn't me! It must've been Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom shook her head, "I didn't do anything!" Sweetie Belle was still feeling drops falling on her, so she warned, "If either of you don't stop it right now, I'm gonna…" Just then, it started pouring on the girls and they started shrieking and running around. Outside, Discord manipulated the weather inside the cottage and was laughing hysterically. "Oh, this is _so _funny!" he remarked. "I should do this more often."

Though he didn't care much about Twilight, he watched her and her "aunts" for the next few years. One day, the fillies were having a picnic. Discord, watching from afar, decided to start a little quarrel among them. With a wave of his finger, he pulled Sweetie Belle's mane and flung a cream pie on Scootaloo's face. The latter said, "Oh, it is on!" As the three fillies started fighting, a 5-year-old Twilight Sparkle started chasing a butterfly. She was so distracted that she didn't see she was about to run off the cliff.

Discord pointed out amusedly, "Oh, look. The little pony is about to fall of the cliff." Spike, as a dragon, sputtered, "Do something! Save her!" Discord contemplated this and Spike shouted again, "Discord!" The draconequus held out his paw to him and said, "Oh, hold on. Hold on."

Just then, Twilight screamed as she fell off the cliff. Fortunately, though, roots from the side of the ledge and ground caught her and carried her to safety. Spike sighed of relief and Discord remarked, "What? I was going to save her, anyway. I just wanted to wait till the last second…for dramatic effect, of course." Spike looked at him with irritation.

Later, Discord was about to depart for the Everfree Forest when he heard a small voice saying, "Hello." He turned, but he saw no pony there. In confusion, he looked down and saw the young Twilight looking up at him. He replied in a flat voice, "Oh, it's you. Listen, I've no time for fillies like you, so why don't you trot back to wherever you came from and…" Before he could finish his sentence, the filly was nudging upwards and urging, "Up! Up!"

Discord rolled his eyes and groaned, "All right." He grabbed the filly and lifted her up to his head. When she began poking and looking at his horn and antler, he grunted, "No, no! Bad Twilight! This is why I don't like fillies! Ouch! Don't do that!"

He had just about enough of this and set her down. He pointed her to the direction in front of him and told her, "Now go home and don't bother anypony else." She trotted off while saying, "Bye-bye." When she was gone, he leaned against the tree trunk and groaned, "How did I ever come to this?"

_**Author's Note: Twilight is a unicorn.**_


	7. Curious Little Pony

Shining Armor woke from his fitful slumber and decided to take action. He went down to the castle gates and approached the ponies pulling carts of a forbidden kind of gem. "Is there any more in the mines?" he asked urgently. "Just a few more carts of these and the mines will be dry," a pony answered. "Take them to the forge," Shining Armor ordered. "I want those put on the armor of my soldiers when I send them out to the wall of vines. Discord must not reach my daughter before we stop him. Labradorite is the only way we can defeat this monster."

Around Twilight's 15th birthday, she decided to explore a forbidden area at dusk. Her aunts didn't suspect a thing and assumed the unicorn was just finding new patches of flowers. However, Discord found out about her true intentions when she approached the wall of vines. He found it rather interesting that she would be so brave as to investigate what was on the other side. He remarked, "Curious little pony. Ironic how the fillies have tried to keep her from me, but she decides to come _to _me."

Just then, he noticed a group of soldiers heading their way. They were about to find the princess, but not if Discord had anything to say about that. He ordered to his owl, "Spike, bring her to me. She must not be discovered by the king's stallions." With a snap of his fingers, Spike was surrounded in a ball of light.

When the king's soldiers were getting closer to Twilight, they heard a bark. Out of the brush came a brown and white dog. It approached the soldiers and looked at them happily. "Awww!" the stallions said. "It's so cute! I want to pet it!"

Twilight didn't pay attention to what was happening, for she suddenly got caught by a thorny vine. "Wha-Hey! Let me go!" she cried. She tried to pull herself free, but eventually used a magic blast to repel the vine. The soldiers took noticed of a nearby light and decided to investigate.

Discord whispered, "No, no, no!" He leaped into action by parting the wall of vines. When he got to the other side, he blew a dust on Twilight that put her to sleep and levitated her. Just after he conjured up a cotton candy cloud for her to rest on, he heard the soldiers nearing. Mere seconds before they reached the princess, a burst of smoke appeared before the stallions. Out of the smoke came Discord, who taunted, "And just what are you doing out here? It's getting late, and your mothers will certainly be cross with you if you miss your curfew."

The soldiers weren't intimidated in the least, and one of them shouted, "Get him!" As soon as they galloped towards him, Discord snapped his fingers confidently. Three of the front stallions soon went flying when they stepped on platforms of grass, each with a spring at the bottom. Discord took out a bubble bottle and dipped a wand in it. He blew into it and the bubble was large enough to enclose the soldiers.

As they hovered in mid-air, Discord tapped his goat leg on the ground three times. A large circle on the ground beneath the soldiers collapsed into a hole. Discord whipped up a pin and before popping the bubble, he uttered, "Oops!" After the bubble popped, the stallions fell into the hole. With a snap of his fingers, Discord shrunk the hole. He grabbed the edge of the now five-inch hole with his thumb and index finger and pulled it up to reveal a tin can. He swiped his paw across the top and conjured up a lid to seal the can.

He held it out to the dog and said, "Voila! Soldiers in a can! Nice ring to it, huh?" The dog gave him an irritated look and Discord said, "Oh, don't look at me like that! I've turned you into a lot of animals before: a dragon, a snake, a cragadile, a cute little bunny…"

The dog still looked at him in annoyance. Discord sighed, "Oh, all right. I'll turn you back." He snapped his fingers and the dog reverted back to a dragon. Spike shot off, "A dog?! You turned me into a dog?!"

Discord said, "Would you rather I turned you into a bunny?" Spike grunted in frustration as his master turned to Twilight and parted the wall of vines. After a minute of Spike's ranting, the draconequus finally grunted, "I've had just about enough of you!" He snapped his fingers and Spike turned into an owl. When Spike kept hooting on, Discord grumbled, "I should've just turned you into a bunny."

Meanwhile, at the castle, the three soldiers that flew off the platforms of grass returned to the castle with the rest of their comrades in a can. They reported to King Shining Armor in defeat and the king could only express frustration. He grunted as he pushed the items off the table with one hoof. He sighed in defeat, "Now Discord has my daughter. There's no telling what he might do to her. I don't know how to break this to my wife. She's already…"

When he stopped in mid-sentence, one of the soldiers asked hesitantly, "Um, Your Majesty…May we have a can opener?" Though the request was insensitive at the moment, Shining Armor obliged. Via his magic, he gave a can opener to the soldier and the latter used it to cut the lid off the can. When the lid was off, the trapped soldiers came gushing out like a geyser. After a few moments in mid-air, they came crashing down on their comrades. One of the freed soldiers groaned, "I think I broke my favorite tooth."

At that moment, one of the servants rushed in the chambers. He told the king in a grave tone, "Your Majesty…I'm afraid the queen is not doing very well." Shining Armor whispered in shock, "Cadance…"


	8. Fairy Godfather

Twilight Sparkle fluttered her eyes open and found herself in a strange surrounding. Another thing she noticed was that she had bits of cotton candy on her. "Eww!" she grimaced. "How did I get this on me?" Just then, a group of bright lights flew towards the princess. She took a closer look and saw that they weren't bright lights; they were luminous Breezies! Then, she realized where she was: in the Everfree Forest!

All those stories her aunts told her about it made it sound scary and foreboding. But Twilight knew that couldn't be true. Fortunately, she had books stored away about the Everfree Forest. She learned that though it hosted terrifying creatures, it also was home to beautiful places and living things. She knew all of the creatures that lived here…even a strange creature called the draconequus. The Everfree Forest sounded so interesting that she had to check it out. Tonight, she got her chance.

The luminous Breezies swarmed around her body and licked the cotton candy off her. They all agreed it was quite delicious. Twilight joked, "You mean the cotton candy or me?" The Breezies laughed and circled around her playfully. She got up and admired every single one of them. Suddenly, the Breezies noticed something to their left and flew off.

She turned in the direction they were facing and saw a tall silhouette behind the trees. She noticed something familiar about the shadow and said to it, "I know you're there. Don't be afraid." The shadow chuckled at this trivial echo of his childhood and replied, "I'm not afraid." Twilight urged him, "Then come out." The figure answered, "Then you'll be afraid." The unicorn shook her head, "No, I won't. I promise I won't be scared."

He shrugged, "Suit yourself." The shadow slowly emerged from the brush and Twilight was slightly stunned that it was a draconequus. However, she put on a brave face and said, "I know who you are." Discord was not convinced and asked, "Oh, do you?" Twilight broke into a smile and said, "You're my fairy godfather!"

Discord was surprised by this and asked, "Err…what?" "Your shadow…" she explained, "…it's been following me my whole life. You've been watching me since the day I was born." Just then, an owl flew in and landed on a branch. Twilight said, "I remember you, pretty owl." Discord said, "This is Spike. Perhaps he would like to say 'hi' to you."

He snapped his fingers and Spike became a dragon. Spike smiled, "Hello, Twilight. I've known since you were little." As he took her hoof and kissed it, she chuckled, "You're charming and cute when you're a baby dragon." She turned to Discord and asked, "So, is this the Everfree Forest?" Discord nodded and slowly answered, "Yes."

She hopped into the air and squealed, "This is amazing! I've never seen the Everfree Forest before! My aunts told me it was awful, but I didn't believe them! I'm glad I read the book about it and now, I'm here! Tell me, what's it like to live in such an abundant…" Discord had all he could take of this, so before she finished her sentence, he blew the sleeping dust on her. She drifted off to sleep and levitated almost immediately.

He faced Spike, who had his arms crossed and was glaring at him, and told him, "She's quite the chatterbox, isn't she?" Spike suggested, "Maybe she should visit here more often. I like her." Discord was alarmed by this and refused, "Oh, no, no, no, no! I will not have the daughter of my greatest nemesis traipsing around in my forest!" "Well, she did call you her 'fairy godfather'," he reminded him slyly. "I thought it would be nice if you would let her visit the forest to live up to your 'good' name."

Discord blushed when his aide mentioned that Twilight called him her fairy godfather. He gritted his teeth and groaned, "All right! Fine! She can visit here, but only once a week, do you hear?!" Spike nodded, satisfied that Discord, if not reluctantly, agreed to his idea.

Soon after he brought her home that first night, she visited the Everfree Forest once a week as per her agreement with Discord. At first, he didn't like the idea of the daughter of his enemy wandering around the forest. However, he knew the things she said about him were true. He did watch over Twilight her entire life, and now she knew him. He thought back to that first day they met; not when she was five, not when she was at the cottage, but when he cursed her…

As the weeks passed by, they began to grow on each other. Somehow, in some way, Twilight found her way into Discord's stone cold heart…although, it wasn't so much as stone anymore as it was when Fluttershy had been sent to the dungeon. He thought he would hate Twilight for being the daughter of the stallion who wrecked his life. However, he slowly saw that she wasn't anything like him; she was only more like her aunt Fluttershy. He smiled at the thought as she reminded him more and more about his lost love.

Somewhere between a month or two, Discord and Twilight began exchanging stories. They recollected how the unicorn got her cutie mark. Discord chuckled, "Oh, I remember that day. I was there." Twilight looked at him with amazement, "You were? That's right…"

A long time ago, Twilight was practicing her magic with Spike, as an owl, looking onwards. She tried to do a complex spell, but found it to be difficult. Just as she was about to give up, Spike urged her to keep trying. Taking his wordless advice, Twilight tried again; but this time, something completely different happened. When she lifted a prism near the sun, a rainbow shined on her horn and her magic began to expand out of control. Her horn shot many rays around the cottage; one hit Spike and turned him into a rutabaga. The three fillies went outside to see the commotion, only to be hit by three more rays and got turned into books.

Discord, watching at the edge of the forest, found this funny and cackled at it. "This is priceless!" he laughed. "Why didn't Twilight do this _ages _ago?" Just then, a ray of magic nearly shot him. "Whoa!" he cried. "Okay, that was a little too close for comfort. Time to put a stop to this."

He snapped his fingers and just like that, Twilight stopped shooting off magic. Spike and the three fillies reverted back to their own selves. By the time the fillies had regained their senses, Spike had fallen over the stump backwards in dizziness from the transformation. He was thankfully out of the sight of the fillies. Sweetie Belle then pointed to Twilight and cried, "Look!" When Twilight noticed that her aunts were looking at her flank, she decided to look, too. It was then she noticed her cutie mark: a six-pointed star with five smaller stars surrounding it!

She jumped for joy at her accomplishment. Scootaloo grumbled, "She's lucky she has her cutie mark." Sweetie Belle nudged her with her elbow and whispered, "Don't ruin this moment for her!" As Twilight was jumping around, she noticed something in the trees. She saw a deer antler and a goat horn from behind one of them. She thought nothing of it and continued to jump for joy.

It was only now that she recognized the antler and horn and remembered the snapping that made her magic seize. "You must've been the one who helped me control my magic!" she pointed out. Discord replied modestly, "Oh, I only stopped your magic burst. You controlled your magic on your own." She smiled, "I just want to say 'thank you'." She put her arms around him; Discord thought it was weird at first, but soon found warmth in her hug. He was, after all, her fairy godfather.

Weeks turned into months, and during one of those months, Twilight got into a mud fight with the Diamond Dogs. Discord watched as he sat on a tree root. When one of the Diamond Dogs threw mud at the unicorn, she dodged it. She turned to see that Discord got hit. Spike was laughing hysterically until a bunch of mud flew at him and covered him. Discord had a mischievous look in his eyes as he grabbed some mud. He smirked, "Oh, you messed with the wrong draconequus."

Twilight squealed playfully as Discord joined the mud fight.

Some time after the mud fight, Twilight and Discord were walking about the forest, admiring the scenery. The unicorn couldn't help but notice that many of the creatures could fly. She wondered why Discord didn't fly, even though he had wings. She asked, "Well, the other creatures fly. Why don't you?" Discord replied, "I have wings. They are strong, though not nearly as strong as they used to be."

Twilight asked, "What happened?" Discord paused, and then replied reluctantly, "Let's just say that I've been deprived of my flight and teleportation by someone who also took somepony away from me. Let's just leave it at that, okay?" The unicorn couldn't help but have sympathy for him, and she decided she would do something to make him feel better. She planned a surprise for Discord and enlisted the help of the other creatures.

After a few days, Twilight blindfolded Discord and led him somewhere. He smiled, "Where are we going?" Twilight replied, "If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore." He implored, "Oh, come on! You can tell me! Please? Pretty please…for an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top?"

She only chuckled, "No!" When they got to the destination, Twilight magically took off Discord's blindfold. He didn't know what to make of what was in front of him. It was just a board with a rope hanging from either opposite end. "Err…what is it?" he asked confusedly. Twilight smiled, "It's a swing. You get on it, push yourself back and forth, and you'll feel like you're flying!"

Discord couldn't believe it and Twilight had to convince him to get on the swing. Finally, he gave in as he sighed, "Oh, all right. If you insist." The unicorn showed him how to get on the swing and push himself. At first, Discord saw no point in this, but as he got higher and higher, he took great delight in it. "Woo-hoo!" he smiled. "I _do _feel like I'm flying, although I'm just going back and forth."

Twilight chuckled, "I knew you'd like it!" He kept swinging until his tail got sore. Still, he was happy and told the unicorn, "Thank you, Twilight. You've given me a new toy and a way to fly without using my wings." She replied, "It was my pleasure." Suddenly, he realized that her 16th birthday was coming up. There was the matter of the curse, but he had loved the filly so much that Discord now took it upon himself to remove it from her.

That night, Discord slipped into the cottage and went over to Twilight's bedside. He could see that she was resting peacefully and thought that now was the time to lift the curse before it was too late. He extended his arms and said, "I revoke the curse! Let it be no more!" He repeated this as a yellow light began leave Twilight's body. However, instead of absorbing into Discord, it blasted him across the room and re-entered Twilight.

As he regained his senses, he heard the whispers saying, "_This curse will last till the end of time…No power on Earth can change it…_" His heart dropped when he heard the words he said when he first cursed Twilight. In that moment, he was filled with regret and wished he could take it all back. He whispered, "I failed you, Twilight." With eyes glistening with tears, he dug his head into the side of the bed as he said, "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

Meanwhile, at the castle, a dark figure was conversing with a yellow Pegasus in the dungeon. The door knocked, to which the voice belonging to the figure said, "Enter." The guard peeked into the dungeon and reported, "The King is gravely ill and has not long to live. He wishes to speak with you." "Hush," the voice admonished him. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of a conversation?"

The guard apologized, "Right. A thousand pardons." After the guard left, the voice purred while holding a yellow orb, "Once the king is out of the way, all that is left to get rid of is his little daughter, Twilight Sparkle." Fluttershy weakly protested, "You won't get away with this!" The voice chuckled menacingly, "I already have, my dear."

**_Author's Note: Mystery villain! That's the first of my major twists in my story. Who do you think it is? I'll give you a hint in the next chapter. ;)_**


End file.
